Computer systems running on distributed platforms can be managed remotely from a central location using a management infrastructure stack and a user application. Management of the systems includes gathering data on the hardware and software components, and testing various components and operating scenarios on the system. A computer system comprising a real distributed platform infrastructure is referred to herein as a real enterprise computing system.
A management infrastructure stack (202, 203, 204, 205), shown schematically in FIG. 2, comprises software and hardware components. The software component includes client application interface 202, server daemon 203, and server daemon plug-in 204. The hardware component includes service processor 205. In the stack, the components are in communication with each other and cooperate in managing the system either directly or through a computer network. An exemplary stack as shown in FIG. 2 is referred to herein as a real management infrastructure stack.
A user application 202, as shown schematically in FIG. 2, is software that functions with the management infrastructure stack (202, 203, 204, 205) to manage the enterprise computing management system. The user application 201 provides user functions, for example, a graphical user interface; functions for creating, modifying and deleting hardware partitions; functions for automatic detection of configuration and hardware problems; functions to view and print hardware inventory status; and a comprehensive on-line help.
In practice, the configuration of a user application 201 and a real management infrastructure stack in a real enterprise management computing system is flexible. For example, the user application 201 and the client application program interface 202 can reside on a Web server, while the server daemon 203 and the server daemon plug-in 204 can reside on the service processor 205; alternatively, the WEB server can be on one server, the server daemon 203 and daemon plug-in 204 can be on another server, and deamon-plugin 204 communicates with the service processor 205 in a third server.”. In this exemplary configuration, communication between the user application 210 and the client application program interface 202 (residing on the web server), and the other portion of the real management information stack (residing on the service processor) can be direct or indirect via a network connection such as the Internet. Other configurations are possible and are well known in the art.
In the conventional art, to obtain data from on the enterprise management computing system and/or perform a test on the system, a user will log-on to the user application 210 and enter a request. The request is passed to the client application program interface 202 where it is converted to a format for transmission to the server daemon 203. The server daemon 203, on receiving the request, will invoke the server daemon plug-in 204 to handle the request. In handling the request, the server daemon plug-in 204 will make systems calls or the like to gather information to fulfill the request and provide a reply. The information is usually available from the service processor 205 which, typically, is the single point of contact for information on the system. The reply is returned to server daemon 203 for interpretation and integration, and thereafter passed to the client application interface 202 where it is converted to a format for presentation to the user at the user application 201. In this regard it should be noted that service processor 205, as the single point of contact in the hardware, allows for crossing of one or more operating systems boundaries to get information on the system.
In the conventional art, a pre-requisite for using or testing a real management infrastructure stack 202, 203,204,205 is that the stack must be complete and fully functional as a unit. That is, all the components of the stack, i.e., the client application program interface 202, the server daemon 203, the server daemon plug-in 204 and the service processor 205, must be integrated in the stack and functioning as a unit.
A problem with the fully functional requirement is that if it is desired to test a user application 201 or demonstrate a prototype of an enterprise computing system, while the stack is still being developed, the test or demonstration cannot be done until the real stack is available.
Another problem with the fully functional requirement is that, after the sack 202, 203,204, 205 is developed, since the software components are large and the hardware component is expensive, if it is desired to merely demonstrate features of the real stack on a small computer without investing in a service processor 205, the demonstration will not be possible without a connection to a real stack.
Accordingly, in view of these and other problems of the conventional art, it is an objective of the invention to provide for a simulated management infrastructure stack that will allow for testing the user application, or demonstrating an enterprise management system on a portable system, without requiring a connection to a real management infrastructure stack.
These and other objectives of the invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art on reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the various Figures.